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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26280352">Lady Like</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/belivaird_st/pseuds/belivaird_st'>belivaird_st</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Carol (2015), The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:46:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>422</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26280352</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/belivaird_st/pseuds/belivaird_st</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Therese wants to look more attractive.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Carol Aird/Therese Belivet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Lady Like</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Come to bed...”</p><p>Carol drops her head low as she lays underneath the blankets while Therese brushes one side of her face in front of the vanity mirror to give her skin a rosy complexion. She’s already put on lipstick. Tonight her mind is focused on beauty. She wants to feel pretty and look attractive, because the men at work made a rude remark today that she could easily be mistaken for a boy. Their sheer mockery and wicked laughter made her run out of the break room and into the ladies’ room to cry. Therese had not told Carol about it, because it was much too painful. For the rest of the evening she has tried everything to become more feminine. To look like a lady.</p><p>
  <i>“Therese.”</i>
</p><p>Carol watches the young woman drop the makeup brush before pressing down her red painted lips together. She rises back up and turns around.</p><p>“Do I look pretty now?”</p><p>The question is simple enough, yet powerful. </p><p>Carol feels her heart breaking.</p><p>“What are you talking about? Of course you do!”</p><p>“You mean now, not before?”</p><p>“I mean always,” Carol sighs, growing impatient. “Putting makeup on doesn’t change that!”</p><p>Therese scowls,</p><p>“That’s easy for you to say, Carol. You wear it everyday!”</p><p>Carol closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. “Why are you so worried on your appearance all of a sudden?”</p><p>“The guys at work say that I could easily be mistaken for a boy,” a muscle twitches through her jaw.</p><p>“That’s not true,” Carol slowly begins. “You have the figure and mannerisms like one, but so what? That doesn’t mean you’re not a pretty girl. I didn’t fall for just your looks, darling. I fell in love with the person that stands before me who wanted trainsets as a child, who captures life through a camera lens, who’s curious about the world and spontaneous at any given moment!”</p><p>“I just want to make you happy,” Therese explains to her. </p><p>“You have been,” Carol responds, exasperated. “Sure, it’s nice to get dolled up once in awhile, but we both know that isn’t you. Stay true to yourself, Therese, and don’t pay any attention to what those goons say at work!” she encouragingly pats the empty space on the bed beside her, “Come over here before you make me cry...”</p><p>Therese moves quickly and grabs some tissue off the dresser to wipe the makeup off. Then she makes her way towards her side of the bed and throws the blankets back to climb in.</p>
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